Anthem watching and the NFL’s place

Twenty-one years ago, my wife and I transplanted from Minnesota to Las Vegas. We still liked to follow the Minnesota Vikings and were looking forward to Sunday’s season opener. At kickoff, my wife mentioned that there was no national anthem. That was the end of our watching the opener.

Jim Armbrust Las Vegas

September 11, 2018 - 9:00 pm

Houston Texans players stand during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Twenty-one years ago, my wife and I transplanted from Minnesota to Las Vegas. We still liked to follow the Minnesota Vikings and were looking forward to Sunday’s season opener. At kickoff, my wife mentioned that there was no national anthem. That was the end of our watching the opener.

As a veteran, I always looked forward to seeing our flag flying as the anthem was sung before a game. It gave me a sense of pride in my country and in my service. The actions of some players who hate this country and what it stands for washed that away.

The NFL has a history of breaking free of national service. During the Vietnam War, NFL players were exempt from the draft because they were deemed “national treasures.”

So that is the end of football in our house. We’ll stick with the Golden Knights, who do proudly stand with their hand over their hearts.